Democrats take control in Sharon Hill

SHARON HILL — Riding a groundswell of support from their base, Democrats swept to super-majority status in Sharon Hill on Tuesday night, winning races for mayor and tax collector and turning council decidedly Democratic by claiming the four council seats up for grabs.

According to unofficial returns, the results were:

MAYOR

Harry Dunfee, Democrat: 759

Robert O’Neill, Republican: 338

TAX COLLECTOR

Donna Mulhern, Democrat: 737

Lisa Little, Republican: 350

COUNCIL:

Sharon Booker, Democrat: 720

Terrence Oliver, Democrat: 720

James Lafferty, Democrat: 709

ToniAnne Martinez, Democrat: 691

Faith Price Thomas, Republican: 334

Lloyd Bradley, Republican: 301

William Benecke, Republican: 289

Eugene Brown, Republican: 289

Dunfee, a lifelong borough employee and longtime Amtrak employee, had run on a platform of re-establishing relationships with the community. O’Neill, an automotive mechanic by trade, had served as Sharon Hill’s mayor for 10 years; prior to that, he was a council member for eight years.

Mulhern, an account manager for an international shipping company and mother of three, thwarted an attempt by Little, a silkscreen operator, to win a second term as the borough’s tax collector.

With their wins, Booker, Lafferty, Oliver and Martinez tipped the balance of council from 4-3 in favor of Republicans to a 7-0 Democratic majority. With their defeat of the Republican slate of candidates and the retirement of Republican council president John Scanlan, the foursome will join Dems Helen Brown, Scott MacNeil and Michael Finnegan on council.

Booker is an environmental claims administrator for a Philadelphia chemical company; Lafferty is a graduate student at Temple University; Martinez is a sourcing manager and new hire trainer at Maritz Travel; and Oliver is director of accounting at a Center City non-profit organization.

Current council vice president Price Thomas and council members Bradley and Benecke will lose their seats on council; Brown had been hoping to win his first term in office.